Shirataki Noodles

There is this new product everyone is raving about. Shirataki Noodles are noodles made from tofu and they are low in calories in fat. One cup of shirtaki is 20 kcal where as most other noodles are about 200 kcal/cup. However that is only fabulous if they taste good. I decided to try out a recipe. 

The noodles come in a package surrounded by water and they smelled fishy. I drained them and patted them dry. To a pan I added a teaspoon of olive oil and sautéed some onion. I added broccoli, shrimp and the Shirataki noodles.  I my stir fried it all together with black bean sauce. I did not like the texture of the noodles and the fishy smelled lingered. Maybe  I needed to boil the noodles for a different texture.  I was not impressed by these fake me out noodles. Anyone who knows me knows I don't like fake foods. I had hope for Shirtaki because tofu in noodle form does not qualify as fake in my book. 

Rating: D

Up Next: I lucked up on a Wii Fit during my holiday shopping so look forward to many more posts about that subject. I'm thinking about doing a Wii Fit weight loss and tone challenge for the first three months of the new year. 

So I've decided this is going to be a food and fitness blog. In 2008 I lost 22 pounds. I have more weight to lose to get to my goal but,  I know I should share with others how I got there without really going to the gym. Well obviously part of it involved a bike.  I think I will start posting up my favorite things so others might have some ideas. 

So this week I discovered Skinny Cow Ice cream. I'm not a big fan of "fake" foods. However I've been craving real sweets.  So I leave you with a review of Skinny Cow and  a dessert recipe. 

Skinny Cow makes ice cream sandwiches and bars that are low in fat and taste good enough for me. My friend used to eat them all the time but I preferred the real thing in smaller portions. However, there are times when I just want to grab and go. A good part of weight loss is portion control and Skinny cow comes all ready portioned so there is no temptation for me to try to fudge the measurements. At only 140 calories and 97% fat free,  it's a big win in my book. However it does contain high fructose corn syrup which I prefer not to eat. 

When I'm ready to bake but don't want to spend a lot of time I have put together a basic cobbler recipe based on lots of recipes I've tried. This one involves peaches but you can use any fruit you like. It doesn't have thick crust but you get that crust flavor which is the important part. 

Skinny Peach Cobbler

6 Medium Peaches Cored and Sliced

1/3 cup of sugar plus 1 TBSP

1 TBSP Cornstarch

1 TSP Cinnamon

1 C Flour

1.5 TSP baking powder

3TBSP Margarine

1/2 C 2% Milk

1/2 TSP salt

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

 

In a large saucepan, combine peaches, 1/3 cup of sugar (5 1/3 tablespoons), cornstarch, lemon juice and cinnamon; toss to coat peaches. Set pan over medium heat and bring to a boil; cook until mixture thickens, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; transfer mixture to an 8-inch square baking pan.

 

To make topping, combine flour, remaining tablespoon of sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Work in margarine with a fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk; stir until flour mixture is evenly moistened.

 

Drop 8 tablespoons of topping mixture over peach mixture. Bake until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces and serve.

about 150 calories 2gm fat